The Indiana Fever forward was on the brink of playing for another prestigious college.

Caitlin Clark’s future with the Indiana Fever looks promising. Her entry into the WNBA follows a stellar career with the Iowa Hawkeyes. However, in a surprising revelation, the rookie admitted that her path could have been very different almost five years ago.

Clark has made a strong start to her professional career. Despite the Indiana Fever’s preseason record of one win and one loss, Clark has already demonstrated her ability to impact the Fever’s game and the WNBA as a whole, scoring a total of 33 points in both games. This figure is a departure from her averages during her time in the NCAA but is more than acceptable for a rookie in preseason.

However, everything could have been vastly different. In a recent interview with ABC’s Full Court Press, Clark revealed that before committing to the University of Iowa, she had originally chosen a school on the opposite shore of Lake Michigan, the University of Notre Dame.

While her decision to switch ultimately proved to be the right one, it was a challenging time for Clark. “I just knew like – something wasn’t sitting right with me. So, I tell my parents, and I’m like, ‘I think I’m gonna switch to Iowa.’ Which was hard, like, I was scared.” admitted the guard.

Caitlin could have been a Fighting Irish

Her initial decision was influenced by more than just sports. “We’re Catholic and every person, like, idolizes Notre Dame. Like, that’s just what you do. I told Muffet McGraw, one of the greatest coaches of all time, that I’m gonna play for her.”

However, after careful consideration, Clark opted for what seemed best for her career, despite the difficulty of the decision. “I’m 17 years old and now I have to call Coach McGraw and tell her that I’m not coming. I remember sitting in my bed, and I’m like sweating. I’m like, ‘Oh, this is so bad. But I really loved the idea of being close to home.”

Choosing Iowa allowed Clark to play under Lisa Bluder, another successful coach, and participate in the NCAA Tournament finals two years in a row. She also broke the collegiate circuit’s overall points record, previously held by “Pistol” Pete Maravich.

The outcome exceeded her expectations

Her on-court performance and off-court charisma made her one of the collegiate players with the highest NIL and led to her being selected as the first overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, a feat achieved by only a handful of players.

Nevertheless, basketball enthusiasts can’t help but wonder, “What if…?” “Imagine how the story would have unfolded if Caitlin Clark had stayed committed to Notre Dame,” pondered a user on X, formerly Twitter.

“If Caitlin Clark had gone to Notre Dame, she would’ve played with Hannah Hidalgo this year…who knows what would’ve happened this year,” another observed, while yet another noted, “Caitlin Clark initially committing to Notre Dame is intriguing.”